


where the people are

by lando_cal_rice_ian



Category: DCU
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lando_cal_rice_ian/pseuds/lando_cal_rice_ian
Summary: the king and queen of Atlantis love their daughter, but the young princess can be a handful sometimes





	where the people are

**Author's Note:**

> TUMBLR REQUEST: Hi can I request a drabble or one-shot where the reader is with her parents (Aquaman and Mera) and she's giving them ridiculous reasons as to why she should be able to leave the ocean? Thank you!! - [anon]

"I'm not the Little Mermaid."

Your father, his crown perched precariously atop his head, slipping from his dark locks, looked up from his trident, and his white eyes met yours. He pursed his lips and watched you thoughtfully.

"What was that, my dear?"

"I'm not the Little Mermaid," you repeated. "I don't want to go out on land for some dumb prince. I'm not blind from love. And I have legs, already. I can walk out without needing to sell my soul to some sea-witch."

Arthur sighed. Tapping his trident with his long fingers, he buried his – disappointed, weary, slightly frustrated – face into his other hand; the first few times had been amusing, the next few, as a father, a little concerning, now, he was just done with your, quite frankly, ridiculous reasons to leave the ocean. "We've been over this, child." As the last of the courtiers left the throne room, Arthur said, "You are not leaving the ocean."

As your mother nodded in agreement, you raised your hand and began to count on your fingers. "I am now eighteen. I can take care of myself, if that's what you're worried about. I'm responsible. Remember that time father left me in charge of the royal council for a day—"

"You almost started a war," Arthur reminded.

"And I also ended it before it began!" you reminded him in return, smiling when he began to grumble ("I had to swim halfway across the ocean to fix everything but apparently she ended it.").

You wiggled your fingers and continued. "I want to see Star Wars with the cyborg and that nerdy quick guy. I want a tattoo of Michael Jackson—"

Arthur shook his head, "Absolutely not, young lady!"

"—the King of Pop, I won't tell you where—"

Mera mused, "I never introduced you to his music, who on earth— ah, Barry? Wait, what was that about where you'll put it?"

"—Diana told me I need to try ice cream, otherwise I haven't lived. And that Dick Grayson is walking around with my first kiss."

"I thought you said you weren't going up for some dumb prince?" Mera had the patience to ask, but your father was visibly fuming, his mild irritation replaced by anger, not directed at you, but instead at Bruce Wayne for ever having introduced you to his young – good-looking – protege.

You scoffed softly with a little, almost nonexistent smirk. "He's not a prince. Dumb, he may be; but he's a vigilante."

Your friend and companion, a baby great white, was swimming outside, and you watched her through the windows between the erected pillars; a welcome distraction from your father, whose jaw was so clenched you thought his teeth might break.

"He's bad news," he finally bit out, refraining from saying, if you kiss, I'll stab him in the face.

Mera rolled her eyes. Her pretty auburn hair danced around her face, smooth in the ocean water. She leaned towards you where you sat on your throne, across her peeved husband, taking your hand in hers. "Darling, if you liked the boy so much, you should have told us— well," she side-eyed Arthur, and corrected, "me."

"I don't like him." You shrugged, adding, "He's just hot. And I can't very well kiss someone down here. More likely than not, it'll end up being something, and I'm not exactly attracted to fish."

"All right!" Your father rose, his crown falling through the water to the ocean floor. "That's enough for today. Off with you! Back to your room, princess, in Atlantis, where you belong."

As he ushered you off your throne and down the dais to the door on the far side of the room, you rolled your eyes at him and muttered, "Jeez, dad, fine, I get it. You don't want me to have a life."

Your mother rose from her throne and swam after you both. She grabbed Arthur's arm gently and pulled him back, exchanging whispers of, "Maybe we should let her go," and "Well, she won't stop asking if we don't," later gasping out "Yes, I know she's our darling daughter and-- what, how dare you, of course I want to protect her, too, I'm her mother," followed by "Orin Atlan-son, I might just send her up there right now just to spite you, and I'll go with her!"

You smiled and waved from the doorway, watching with a snicker as your parents bickered, not even caring about getting out of the ocean anymore. "Goodnight, mother, father. We'll speak of this again tomorrow."

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed my garbage, my loves! thank you for reading xx


End file.
